1.26, Part 1, Unbearable

Warning: This post contains content that may not be appropriate for younger readers. The chapter contains sexual and drug use references, language, and adult conversations. Consider the rating PG-13.

Gage called me Sunday morning. He asked if I’d go with him to the funeral home. I didn’t ask questions. I knew better. You never do when someone is grieving. We were all still in shock. I got off the phone and puzzled about what to wear to a funeral home. I opted for my black blazer and nice dress slacks, grey vest and blouse, and black dress flats. Turns out I was way overdressed.

Gage came downstairs after I rang the doorbell almost ten times. He grouchily stated that his dad was still in bed. That answered my question as to why Pablo wasn’t handling funeral details.

“Are you going to wear that?” I asked as we started down the front stairs.

He was dressed in a motorcycle tee, ripped jeans, and dark sunglasses.

“Yeah, why not?” he grunted.

We got in the car. I was about to ask how he was doing, but he turned on the stereo. After flipping the stations, he settled on a punk rock band and cranked the volume obscenely loud.

“Gage?” I shouted as I pulled out of his driveway. “Do you want to talk?”

He shrugged. I turned down the dial and stared at him worriedly. “Seriously, Gage, I’m here for you.”

He just turned the volume back up.

We arrived at the Laffalot Funeral Home₁. It was a pretty stone building and cemetery plot on the east side of town. The front courtyard was neatly landscaped with a statue of some important religious figure holding a small child I couldn’t remember the name of… a Jacoban monk or saint or maybe even a Peteran missionary. The fountains were a nice soothing touch, I thought as I parked.

Without saying a word, Gage leaped out of the car and raced up the front walkway. I followed closely behind. I knew he had to be devastated, but he wasn’t acting like my best friend. Then again, I sighed inwardly. I’ve been blowing him off lately and now this… maybe I don’t know my friend.

The inside receiving room had nauseating pink and chocolate walls. It reminded me more of a candy shop or ice cream parlor than a funeral home… if it weren’t for the decor – the walls covered with framed floral embroidery and gothic-style faux candlelight, La Simiaroja₂ floor rug, the appropriate potted plants and remembrance lilies, the stained glass windows, and Helesimic₃ marble door frame. The mix-and-match oddly worked for a funeral home, I guessed, but it made me feel nauseous.

“Welcome to Laffalot, I’m Natalya Evermist. I’m the funeral director’s assistant. How can we help you today?” a perky older woman greeted us and stuck out her hand to Gage.

He stood there dumbly and just stared at her. I waited for what felt like an eternity as both Gage and Natalya remained silent. She didn’t look like a funeral director or a funeral director’s assistant in my opinion. Her periwinkle blue blouse had a low-cut slit and her blue leather pants didn’t seem the typical attire for a funeral home. Her white heels were much too high, and her short boy-crop blonde hairstyle was much too youthful for someone her age. It obviously wasn’t natural for her, clashing drastically with her cocoa-toned skin. I estimated she was at least my mother’s age, if not older, given her crease lines, but she certainly looked like she was trying to appear younger. Something about her bothered me, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.

“Gage?” I said, glaring at him.

“It’s okay,” she said smoothly. “Grief and loss make it hard to remember social niceties.”

“I’m Kass Fullbright,” I interjected. “And this is Gage Briody. We’re here about…” I paused and lowered my voice. “…his mother, Jennifer Martinez. I believe we have an appointment.”

It was weird to say it aloud.

“Oh, yes,” Natalya nodded. “Mr. Pablo Martinez called and left a message last night. Briody-Martinez appointment was scheduled for 9:30 AM. I figured you went with a different funeral home when you didn’t show up.”

I gave Gage a weird look. This is awkward. It’s 11:15.

“I…was not… made aware of… a specific appointment time,” I gave a strained reply.

Gage laughed strangely. I frowned. Is that supposed to be funny? Is she trying to be funny? Why is Gage finding it funny? I felt so out of place.

“Good, you’re laughing,” Natalya smiled. ” ‘Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It’s the transition that’s troublesome,’ so at Laffalot we like to put our clients at ease and make that transition as smooth as possible.”

“Really?” I quirked a brow, so not appreciating her strange sense of humor. She sounded like a commercial. “That’s what you tell people?”

Gage just laughed harder.

“Really, it’s a quote by Isaac Asimov₄, famous earth author and biochemist,” Natalya answered. “You should read his works. They are fascinating. Best thing you’ll ever read is Robots Among Us. I guarantee.”

“Yeah, I’ll get right on that… after I help Gage plan his mother’s funeral,” I quipped.

“It’s so thrilling that they survived all the way on the trip here,” Natalya exclaimed, totally missing my sarcasm. “His work is responsible for inspiring and helping many of the technologist’s breakthroughs on Simterra in the field of robotics.”

“Yes, just thrilling,” I raised and dropped my shoulders in exaggerated annoyance.

Am I the only one taking this seriously?

“I like you,” Gage finally said, slightly slurred, waving his arms around limply at his side.

He speaks.

“You’re funny,” Gage smirked.

“Gage,” I grunted, nudging him.

“If you want to step into my office, Gage…” Natalya paused as she said his name a slight smile perking at the corner of her lips. She continued… “…and we can discuss details altogether or we can go tour the grounds and you can tell us which room you’d like to have the service in,” Natalya said, suddenly business-like. “And your girlfriend can join us if she likes… or she can feel free to tour the grounds while we discuss details.”

I glanced awkwardly to the side. Is she fishing? How rude!

“Oh she’s not my girlfriend,” Gage said emphatically. “I wanted her to be but she chose this other guy from my workplace and he well…” he sniffled as if about to cry. “He… was better for her, I guess. I mean, I’m a wreck today, aren’t I?” Gage laughed, but tears were rolling down his cheeks below his sunglasses. “Who’d want to be with me?”

Natalya nodded sympathetically as if I weren’t there, and reached for some tissues. She then, not so subtly, glared at me. That little…

I dragged Gage through the door into the red-walled reception room. He flashed a silly smile at Natalya as we passed by.

“Isn’t she…like… the greatest? I mean… she’s soooooo hotttt like fire… I mean, who’d’a’thunk black women would be so into me?” Gage said happily.

“Oh! Gag me!” I howled, pointing to my mouth and wrapping an arm around my stomach. “Gage, she’s old enough to be your mom… or grandma even…”

“A young hot grandma,” Gage smirked.

“Oh you disgust me!” I made a face. “I should just leave now and go home. You can find your own way back.”

“You’re such a jerk you know! I found out about Davis through my co-workers. I tell you I love you and it means nothing to you. You just go out and find the nearest guy who’ll get you going.”

“Is that what this is really about?” I grunted.

“Yes, really, it’s your fault. It’s all your fault… I mean, if you and I had been together… or even if you had still been my friend… we would’ve been at my house together last night and maybe… just… maybe…. Jennifer wouldn’t have died!”

His words hung dramatically in the air. I stood there in stunned silence. Does he really blame me for his foster mom’s death? How can he say that? How can I respond to that?

“But instead you’re off with Casimnova₅,” he added bitterly. “I hope he was worth the woo!”

“That’s so not fair! I thought you knew me better,” I said angrily. “I am NOT sleeing with, nor have I EVER slept with Davis, or anyone for that matter. In fact, I think we’ve broken up!”

“Oh really?” Gage rolled his eyes. “You two looked together when you showed up at my house.”

“We’re not. And it’s complicated,” I exerted a sharp sigh. “And it’s not like I didn’t try to tell you. I was scared I’d lose you as a friend and I think I just have. I mean, that thought was unbearable. We’ve been friends for so long and I didn’t want to lose you, but I’m not in love with you. There! I said it! I can’t lie anymore. I can’t keep secrets anymore. And it’s not like you really tried to pursue me. You said I love you and then what? You disappeared for days. I couldn’t get through to you.”

“I thought you needed space,” he said soberly.

“Not days and days…” I howled. “I don’t know, Gage, maybe if you had called me or tried talking to me then it would’ve been different. I wasn’t sure if I should date Davis actually… I hesitated multiple times… but Davis tried… Davis pursued me… Davis cared… and you… well… stopped talking to me. And then Shameka came along and well… you were distracted and disinterested it seemed.”

“Don’t do this!” my voice cracked. “Don’t blame me for Jennifer’s death! We haven’t really been hanging out on Friday nights anyway even before Davis came into the picture. I’m not to blame for an accident. And if I broke your heart, I’m sorry… but I think you broke mine a little too.”

“No! But I lost my boyfriend, a mentor, and my best friend in the last few days… and oh yeah my dad has EXCES! So don’t lecture me on damn loss!”

“Oh boo hoo!” Gage said sarcastically.

“You’re a llama’s ass!” I narrowed my eyes.

It took everything in me not to smack Gage hard across the face as I stormed out of the reception hall, right past an smirking Natalya. Good! I hope she enjoyed the show! What does she have to be amused about? Does she thrive on the drama of grieving families?

Instead of leaving immediately, I decided to wander back on the grounds, huffing and heaving. I was in no condition to drive anywhere. I couldn’t believe what a complete and total jerk Gage had been. His words rang in my ears like I had just been struck on the side of the head with a heavy blunt object. Our friendship was probably forever severed. I stomped through the cemetery across the perfectly manicured grass and past a pretty stone chapel.

“Get a grip on yourself,” I grunted, waving my arms to the air.

I had to get some clarity. I had to get some control. I had to get some…

I slumped down next to a headstone on the back lot. Hot tears pricked my eyelids. My body was shaking as I curled my arms around myself. Jennifer was dead. Davis had slept with a hooker. Gage hated me with a fiery passion.

“What am I going to do?” I whimpered.

“Well, when life gives you lemons, I say make lemonade…” a disembodied voice floated out from beyond the hedge.

“Huh?” I looked up, startled.

“… unless you’re not keen on sour… then chuck the lemons at the birds and try the sushi special at EverFresh Delights Supermarket on Saturdays. Only five-dollar-seventy-five,” the voice spoke up again.

I frowned and leaped to my feet as an elderly man with long white hair, a blazer jacket, red tie, and grey dress shorts popped his head around an elm tree.

“Are you here for a funeral special package?” he asked excitedly. “I would recommend the Death by Chocolate package. Your loved one will be laid to rest in a beautiful cocoa-wood coffin in our magnificently manicured garden. We’ll take care of all the decorating – brown and white flowers, ribbons, and chocolate-scented candles. Our catered chicken in Mexsimican mole sauce is so cathartic, and of course, you have a choice of dessert – chocolate cherries Jubilee or double fudge mint brownies,” he gave me a double okay-sign with his fingers and whistled. “Delectably delicious!”

I stared at him, my jaw dropping open slightly.

“Oh and the chocolate fountain! How can I forget the chocolate fountain?” he tucked a strand of hair over his ear.

“Oh,” I hesitantly took his hand and shook it. “Funeral director, hmm? You all seem very odd…”

“Oh you met Natalya,” he guessed. “Yes, we make a point here to lighten up the hard, dark moments of life. Humor has every bit a place at a memorial as tears do.”

“I can see that,” I said dryly.

“Did you book a tour?” he asked.

“Tour?”

“Of the grounds? Or are you here visiting a loved one?”

“Uh… no… I… uh… came with a friend…”

“Don’t we all?” he laughed. “Well, here’s my card. Call me if you need anything. And I mean, anything… we do all kinds of funerals… serious ones, funny ones, unusual ones… one time I had a couple request skydiving to their family member’s funeral…” he trailed off as if pondering his last statement. He shook his head. “That one I wouldn’t recommend. We got tangled in trees and almost had fatality number two. Good thing we were already above a cemetery.”

“Oh-kaaay, I think I’m going to be leaving now,” I started to turn and walk away.

“The only kind of funeral we don’t do is sad ones. Death is just the next step in life… a new plane of existence… why mourn when your loved ones are safe on the other side?” he called after me.

I have to get out of here…

“Thanks for the coffee… concoction,” Gage was saying after walking into the chapel attached to the reception hall and receiving room.

“Anytime. It’s helpful for a hangover. I should know,” Natalya replied.

“Have hangovers a lot, huh?” Gage teased.

“No… well… sometime…” she smiled slightly. “I just know what it’s like when you’re grieving. You yell at people. You drink a lot. You share a bed with a warm body… any warm body. You just want to numb the pain, but you also want to feel alive.”

“So you don’t blame me?” Gage asked.

“Absolutely not,” she waved her hands.

“So this room is kinda small,” he remarked.

“This room is for those who want quiet, intimate services for their loved ones,” Natalya explained. “This room comes included in Great Things Come in Small Packages package, but if you just want a graveside service, you can opt for our Bare Minimum package.”

Gage gave her a weird look. “Are all your packages named funny things?”

“Yes, it’s part of Director Specter’s ‘laugh your way through grief‘ philosophy,” she smiled. “We want our clients to feel that their loved one’s day is important, but we also don’t want everything to be doom and gloom. That’s why he broke off his partnership with his sister, Olive. She was…” Natalya shivered. “…all doom and gloom.”

“I see,” Gage glanced at Natalya over the edge of his sunglasses. He sighed heavily. “I can’t believe she’s gone,” he whispered.

“Good riddance!” Natalya exclaimed.

“Excuse me?” Gage said defensively.

“You don’t need that Kass girl in your life,” Natalya said quickly.

“Oh… I was talking about my mom…” Gage slumped over.

“Exactly! You just lost your mom and that girl treated you like llama crap and argued with you loudly on the day when you’re trying to work out details for your mother’s funeral,” Natalya included. “Some people have no respect or class! You’re better off without her. I can’t believe some of the horrible things she said to you.”

“You were listening?” Gage hung his head.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” she shook her head. “I hear a lot of things and she’s the one who should feel embarrassed. I mean, she humiliated you by going out with that other guy. I wouldn’t give her another second’s thought.”

“But…”

“No ifs, ands, or buts. There are greener pastures… and better butts,” she gave a flirtatious smile as she turned on her heel, purposely sticking out her posterior a little.

Gage couldn’t help but stare at the woman’s generous rear… even if she was over twice his age, as Kass had so rudely pointed out. Even if her timing was odd, Natalya certainly had a good-looking body going for her… excellently distracting him.

“Chin up, man,” Natalya laid her hands gently on his arms, tracing her fingers up and down soothingly. “Your mother wouldn’t want you to focus on a girl right now.”

“I guess,” Gage shrugged.

“We have a slightly larger chapel on the back of the property that might suit your taste more,” Natalya added extra emphasis on the word ‘taste.’ “Depending on what kind of taste you have.”

There she goes again! Gage thought. How can the word taste be so seductive? Gage let his eyes linger on her lips momentarily. Thick fruity-pink lips… like when I was a kid and I picked succulent berries on the side of the road. I wonder if her lips taste like berries too. What is the matter with you? You’re letting yourself think about this woman!

“Sure, let’s go out to the chapel,” he said.

She smiled a little and walked ahead of him, her hips swinging back and forth rhythmically. Gage found his eyes trailing downward. Stupid! But Gage didn’t really care about his fleeting thoughts right now. He felt raw after his argument with Kass and after the death of Jennifer. This woman… what was her name again? It didn’t matter. I feel something when I look at her… no duh! You idiot! Your hormones are all messed up! But these… feelings… are numbing the pain… the unbearable pain.

“This room is definitely larger,” Natalya was saying as they walked up to the front of the chapel.

“Oh… uh… she was a devout Jacoban… so is my father… they attended mass regularly.”

Gage stepped up on the small platform staring at the candles. The tiny little flames flickered frantically, almost as if they were trying to jump out of the holders. I want free too, Gage thought, then shook his head. I’m talking to candles.

“And yourself?” Natalya asked, stepping up to join him on the platform.

“Never found much use for religion,” he shrugged.

“But you grew up in their home. Didn’t you go with them?”

“A few times, but no, I didn’t actually grow up with them. I’m a foster kid. The Martinez’s were planning to adopt me, but we could never get my birth mom to sign papers before I turned eighteen.”

“Oh I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“You aren’t prying.”

“You know I didn’t know my own birth parents either,” Natalya admitted, turning to face him. “I am told my father abandoned my mother shortly after my birth, and my mother committed suicide when I was around three years old.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Gage said softly.

“It’s okay. I was bounced around between foster homes for nearly ten years, but I was an angry kid with attitude. No one wanted me.”

“I can relate.”

“When I was fourteen, I found out I had an older bio brother named Thomas so I hitchhiked across country to meet him. Mom must’ve had him four years before I was born. But he was a messed-up kid…” she paused and gave a sad chuckle. “Oh my! I call him a kid because he a little younger than you when he died, but if he were still alive he’d be fifty-five next week Tuesday.”

“What happened?”

“He was in deep llama crap… in debt to the mob and he lived for the drag. He was killed when someone rigged his car to explode during a race. They were never able to prove it was murder because no one cares about a underage orphan with a criminal record and a history of drag racing.”

“What’d you do?”

“I got tough. I changed my name to Natalya Evermist so no one would know I was related to Tommy. I ran the streets. I fought my way to respect. It wasn’t easy but I carved out a name for myself and a little bit of turf.”

“How’d you end up here?”

“When I was twenty-one, my best friend over’d’ed on MT and it was a real wakeup call.”

“Xzo packs a punch?”Gage blinked rapidly. “I wouldn’t have guessed. It seems like it’d be mellow.”

“Small legal doses help with stress, but the souped up street version is quite lethal when taken in large doses. It lowers your stress all right, but it can cause a rapid drop in blood pressure and kill you,” Natalya explained.

“So what’d you do after that?”

“I decided to go to college and onto med school. I worked in an emergency room for years after graduating in Big Apple City₈. Then I transferred to a coroner’s office in Sim City where I worked the bulk of my career. I was ready for a change a few years back and moved to Sunset Valley to work with Director Specter. What about you, kid? What’s your story?”

“I… well… just found my bio sister actually and some other blood relatives of mine in Illinoisim. My mom apparently had an affair with her very married professor, my dad, and I happened. Then I just kinda bounced around a lot… but I got in fights constantly because… well you know… you learn quick you’re different and nobody likes different. Nobody trusts different. I was blamed for a half-dozen things and then I just decided to start actually doing something, even if it was the wrong something.”

“By the time I met the Martinez family, I had been in nineteen homes, had been to jail twice, had broken thirteen bones, and had busted up about twice that many bones belonging to others. But the Martinez’s were different from my former families. They actually cared about things that mattered and didn’t care about my criminal past. I found a real home with them… and then I met Kass…” Gage trailed off, frowning.

Kass? I was a real jerk to her… what did she call me?

“The girl?” Natalya asked, stiffening.

The only girl for me… and I’m stupid and now I’ve lost her. Wow! Why did I drink so much last night? Pablo is going to kill me if he finds out. I wonder if Kass will ever speak to me again. Do I even want her to speak to me again? Gage caught himself eyeing Natalya up and down again. I just know what it’s like when you’re grieving… her words were ringing in his head along with the pounding. What’d she say about sharing a bed with a body… a warm body… feeling alive?

“You okay?” Natalya asked.

“Yeah,” he finally said. “Just lost in thought.”

“Okay, well we can go over the details of the service you want back in my office. I have more of that coffee concoction there,” she tilted her head ever so slightly.

But enough for Gage to notice.

“If you’d like more… I could order in lunch from our caterers if you’re hungry… or get you a glass of water…” she fingered her thick silver braided necklace, drawing his attention once again to her silky neckline.. and then lower.

“Lunch sounds nice,” he replied, sliding his foot forward awkwardly.

Great! Lose your balance, loser!

“Good. I’m famished,” she exclaimed, catching his hand without saying a word. “What would you like? Or should I just pick for us? I happen to like the juicy ham with succulent pears on a bed of lettuce and rye.”

Gage only heard ‘juicy,’ ‘succulent,’ and ‘bed.’

“Sounds divine,” he grinned devilishly, leaning in close to inhale her vanilla perfume.

“I wouldn’t want you to leave hungry,” she giggled, a hint of pink tinting her cheeks.

Gage threw his arms around her, one hand resting around her shoulders, the other one trailing down her back, dangerously close to inappropriate. Natalya didn’t seem to mind, smiling as she leaned in closer to receive the hug. Her curves melted nicely against his as he pulled her closer.

“You feel so good,” he murmured, not sure what he was saying or why. “My foster mom’s gone and I’m standing here hugging you and it feels wrong, but so right.”

“Grief makes us do funny things,” she breathed in his ear, and he nearly lost all control.

“Yes, yes it does… I mean…” his head was spinning. What am I doing? “I feel pain… unbearable pain… for the loss of Jennifff…” he trailed off when Natalya kissed his cheek ever so softly.

He closed his eyes inhaling her perfume once more.

“Anything to help you in your unbearable pain, Mr. Briody.”

—

Chapter 27 Coming Soon!

Will Kass and Gage reconcile?

Will Gage and Natalya pursue some kind of relationship?

What’s going to happen between Kass and Davis?

Author Changes: What’s different?

Picture size was edited.

Small grammatical changes.

I, Robot was changed to Robots Among Us.

Kass’s pause during her introduction to Natalya and the line about “it was weird to say it aloud” was added.

“Coughed awkwardly” was changed to “pursed my lips” to match the picture.

An instance of I was changed to Gage.

Asher is the former-brother-in-law of Olive Specter instead of brother.

Story Extras

The Laffalot Funeral Home is a downloadable lot, Silent Grove Cemetery (renamed by me), by copperbear, available on The Sims Resource.

Simaroja is my Simworld version of Spain. La Simaroja is the equivalent of European Spanish style.

Helsimi is my Simworld version of Greece. Helsimic is the equivalent of Grecian style.

Isaac Asimov was a real-world American author and biochemistry professor, famously known for his three laws of robotics. He’s also the author of I, Robot, which was also turned into a movie starring Will Smith. In my Simworld, Sims credit his work as a basis for their own scientific breakthroughs in robotics.

Gui Casimnova was a Simtalian author, poet, and artist who was among the early settlers on Simterra. He is known for his many affairs with women, his name becoming synonymous with ‘womanizer.’ His name is a play on Italian author and adventurer Giacomo Casanova.

Mixzomyatrobride, also known as MT, Mix, Mya, and MayDay (mostly called that due to the rapid drop in blood pressure), is a pharmaceutical drug known to treat stress and stress-related disorders. When made illegally on the street, the pill can be lethal in high doses.

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21 thoughts on “1.26, Part 1, Unbearable”

Wow… This was one heavy chapter. I can’t believe Gage’s behavior towards Kass and Natalya’s behavior towards Gage. I’m in shock. How can someone who’s working in the Funeral home actually hit on a grieving client so shamelessly?!

I laughed at the conversation of Kass and Mr. Specter 😀 I remember Olive and Ofelia Specter from TS2. It was my favorite family from Strangetown. Btw, where did you find Asher? Is he an official character, a random townie or the result of your creativity?

Yeah, Gage is grieving and he’s not handling it well. He’s vulnerable and lashing out irrationally. I haven’t personally had this experience but I knew someone who lost a loved one and the funeral home did everything they could to take advantage of the family, including hitting on the grieving widow (her mom). Terrible, right? All to make a profit. Drr…

The Strangetown Sims fascinate me. I’m hoping to take a trip to ST with Kass’s story sometime in the future. Kass and Mr. Specter were amusing together. He was such an odd Sim who showed up at random in my story. I modified his appearance and personality a little, but his townie last name was Specter so I just tied him in with the Specter family.

This chapter was an emotional rollercoaster, which fits because it is about grief and shock and people who aren’t handling it well. Gage laughing at first reminded me of how at school we recently talked about grief and how people can react in really odd ways to it. And wow, that funeral home is a mix of hilarious and creepy. It just strengthens the mix of emotions in this chapter. But seriously, Gage, I doubt anything good is going to come out of getting it on with the funeral lady, especially in your current state. Then again, what do I know?

I had to laugh when I read your statement “Gage, I doubt anything good is going to come out of getting it on with the funeral lady.” That’s what I thought too. In game, he was still “processing” Jennifer’s death and flirting with Natalya and arguing with Kass. It was weird, but I included it in the story. He’s pretty messed up and handling grief in a bizarre way, but there’s still validity in that I think, even if it’s unhealthy. Everyone needs to slow down and allow themselves time to process the grief.

I agree that even if the way a person is dealing with grief is bizarre, they should be able to go through with it (unless it’s something actually destructive). People deal with things very differently and it should be allowed, especially in bad situations.

Yep Gage… you did wrong man! I know the poor guy is grieving and drunk … but still accusing kass is not the answer. AND to top it off kass was trying to be a great friend to him by being there. And his to just use her niceness to throw his bitterness about davis in her face. grrr. Jerk!. LOL.

Oh boy what a chapter. I knew we were in for something different when the funeral parlour was named Laff-a-lot. That Natalya was certainly inappropriate with everything she said and did.

Gage was wrong for lashing out at Kass the way he did but he was drinking and grieving which is never a good combination. Kass was right for walking out and hopefully she will understand that really wasn’t what Gage intended to say or do. I felt so bad for both of them during this chapter.

I actually wrote a spinoff chapter, set before KCLKF, for the short stories contest once that features Asher and Laffalot. Natalya has the inappropriate trait so she was pretty inappropriate in game too. Gage isn’t in a good place right now and he’s exploding out of grief. Doesn’t make it right, you’re right, but that’s where he is. Thanks for reading.